Building Beautiful Charcuterie Every Time
When it comes to hosting, you can never go wrong with this as your food of choice and with these guidelines you’ll be building beautiful charcuterie every time.
Why You Should Consider Using Charcuterie When Hosting
Facilitates Gathering Place for Guests
Where there is food, people will congregate. I love serving food this way because it invites people to a central place to engage with one another. It can help play host for you by naturally breaking the ice, entertaining and feeding your guests and continuing to bring people together throughout the night.
Is a Flexible Food Choice
With this serving option, you will have the freedom to choose many variables and even create a theme. Twice I’ve hosted events for friends with a brunch theme. I purchased waffles, made egg quiche and it was s cheaper option too than using cured meats and block cheeses. I think it turned out beautifully and it was enjoyed by all.
Can Double as Beautiful Decor
Lastly, the thing about using charcuterie is not only is it delicious but, arranged well, it can be incredibly aesthetic. The food and table centerpiece are interwoven as one and I’ve found that guests enjoy it immensely.
Where to Begin?
Calculate
You’ll need to decide how much food you’re planning to provide and for what size crowd? Is this just an appetizer or is it the snack/meal for an event you’re hosting? This will determine the size you’ll make it and how much you’ll need to purchase. You’ll also decide what theme you’d like with the food – i.e. classic, brunch, holiday, chocolate, etc..
Building Rules?
While there are no set rules when it comes to building beautiful charcuterie, there can be helpful guidelines to go by. Some suggest a guideline of 3 3 3 3 which is several types of each category. Three cheeses, three different meats, three starches, and three filler items. I personally don’t follow a rule but just choose enough variety that I know it will be both filling and beautiful.
How Will I Know What to Buy For My Charcuterie?
When I’m shopping for my charcuterie layout, I think about the staple pieces first as the rest will center around it. So I plan for the meats, blocks of cheese and crackers/bread. From there, I can begin thinking about what would pair well as filler items. I’ll choose based on flavor profile matching well and on aesthetics. There are certain items that almost always go well such as dates, figs, dried apricots, pomegranates, grapes, nuts and chocolate. Other fruits fresh or dried, or vegetables can be great additions as well as dips or jams.
For the brunch charcuteries, I let store-bought waffles be the centerpiece and filled in with other starches, added fruits, bacon, sausage quiche, and yogurt. Let your creativity flow with this process!
Building a Beautiful Charcuterie Layout
Adding height dimension to your layout will also add visual interest. Consider using different cutting boards or stands, having your food at various heights and using dishes to hold dips/jams. When I arrange the main items (meat, cheese & crackers), I’ll add variance within each category by having some cheese as block, some sliced and or cubed. With the meats, I’ll have some rolled, some folded, etc. These little steps incorporated with each item and spaced apart will make your next event’s charcuterie a piece of art to ooh over!
I also love dispersing candles throughout for warmth, interest and added decor. And a garnish of flowers, greenery or fresh herbs can be a great way to add a final flourish to your art…ehh I mean, your food 😉
Table Preparations to Make it Beautiful
Building Your Charcuterie Layout
I like to practice laying out some of the items I’m planning to use to get an idea of how it will go. With this set up, I had a couple friends bringing fruits and such the day of, so I got an idea of how the flow will go with my main items in advance. I pulled candles and candlesticks, cutting boards, dishes and such that I knew would add to the table scape so I would have them thought through and ready.
After laying out the bigger, main items, I like to fill in with medium size items while leaving gaps here and there for the fillers to go or a choice piece of fruit. I’ve found that sprinkling in the small fillers toward the end give a lovely effortless feel to it. I also think it looks best when those fillers are sprinkled throughout and not just clustered in one area. It lends toward aesthetics and also sends your guests on a fun treasure hunt!
With larger charcuteries, I like to lay brown paper down and build on top with my cutting boards for added depth and visual interest which you will see with this one below.
A Couple FAQ’s:
Will this be enough food for my guests?
I’ve wondered and worried about this before but each time I’ve served guests in this way, there have been leftovers. That said, these events were primarily with women. So with larger mixed crowds, be sure you have enough substance to fill your guests. Keep extra of each item in the kitchen that you can bring out and fill in as foods diminish.
Can I set up a charcuterie table scape hours before guests arrive?
It if has fresh items in it then, no. It’s important to time this setup to happen right before your guests arrive. You don’t want items to get too soggy or soft and for your display to look less than appealing.
How long does it take to set up?
There are two factors that will determine this. The first is your experience/level of comfort and the second, the size of charcuterie you’re creating. If you’re experienced with knowing how you want to set up, it will go quicker. However, you should still expect that larger table scapes could take a whole 45 min to an hour. You’ll want to prep certain things in advance so the setup can be as quick as possible.
Open all your bags and containers for nuts, dried fruits, and the like. Clean all your fruits ahead of time so they’re dry and ready for you. Grape clusters can get pre-cut and cheeses opened and sliced. Also gather any bowls, utencils, cutting boards, candle holders, etc you plan to use. And don’t underestimate the use of garnishes for bringing about a finished look. This is one moment where your guests can eat all the garnishes they desire without getting in trouble by a blond lady in the book business 😉
That’s all, friends! I hope you found this information helpful for building a beautiful charcuterie spread!
